The Angel's Work
by rockondean
Summary: MPREG Castiel tells Dean the real reason why he was dragged out of hell. This is based after 'Monster at the end of the book' when the brothers find out about Chuck the prophet.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-

Chuck the prophet, laid on his couch with a bottle of beer in one hand and a bottle of aspirin in the other. He quickly took a couple of the tablets and a swig of beer as he felt another one of his migraines coming on. As the pain killers and alcohol started to take effect, he slowly drifted off to sleep as the visions started to plague him. He starting squirming around on the sofa, hands pushing on the sides of his head trying to control the pain. Several visions and flashes pushed into his mind.

He then woke with a start and proceeded to get up off the couch. As he realised what his visions had meant, he sighed and quickly finished off the rest of his bottle of beer. Why was he chosen to be a prophet of the Lord? Why couldn't he go back to being the drunken unsuccessful writer he thought he was until that fateful day when he had learned the truth.

"Oh crap, I'm a dead man……Dean is gonna be pissed!!" he said as he reached for the bottle of Jack Daniels….he definitely needed something stronger as he began to frantically type away on his computer the revelations that appeared to him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam and Dean were sat in a bar, toasting the end of a successful hunt they had been working on all week.

"Come on Sammy, you should totally get that chick's number, dude…she is hot!"

"Dean, just 'cos you are constantly thinking about getting laid all the time it doesn't mean that I am!"

"Ok…fine, your loss…just trying to help you man" Dean said as he lazily drank from his beer bottle and casually eyed up and smiled at the waitress who walked pass. She turned around and smiled back at him.

"You should really lighten up and have a little fun once in a while".

"Shut up Dean…I do have fun…".

"You research all the time Sammy, that aint fun, and that certainly aint like porn!", Dean interjected.

"Whatever, I'm tired, lets go back to the Motel room…….and its SAM not Sammy….I'm not a chick!" Sam said defensively.

"Well you certainly behave like one, what with all the whining….." Dean said as he looked over at Sam who was currently looking down at the floor with his puppy dog eyes.

Dean gave in and chugged down the rest of his beer. "OK, fine, lets get the hell outta here….go see what the movie channels are like." he winked back at Sam.

They both left the stuffy bar and went out through the doors, across the street and into their Motel room. Sam immediately flopped down onto the bed , and closed his eyes exhaustion taking over him.

"I'm hungry man, I'm gna go get a cheeseburger and fries……you want anything Sam?" he asked, looking over at his brother who was now turning over on his front.

"No, I'm good!" Sam said sleepily, pulling a pillow up over his head.

Dean sighed and walked out of the room and outside ,where he inhaled deeply the fresh air around him. The lights outside the Motel started to flicker uncontrollably and Dean couldn't help but sense that something wasn't right. He was too tired to deal with demons right now. He cautiously turned around to see the dark outline of a familiar figure.

"Cas! You decided to show your face then!" Dean laughed thanking his lucky stars it wasn't a demon.

"We need to talk Dean", he said in a cautious tone of voice, his long trench coat billowing around him.

"About time….is this when you are actually going to tell me the real reason why you dragged my sorry ass out of hell?"

"All in good time Dean……it will become apparent to you soon……the angels have work for you Dean….we need you to give yourself to the angels……swear your allegance to God".

"And why the hell would I do that Cas?!" Dean spat.

"Because you are the chosen one, and if you disagree, then I can always throw you back into hell…"

Dean grimaced as those bitter memories of his time down under flooded his mind. He swallowed hard, took a step forward towards the angel. "And if I agree?" he said.

"I promise that you will be protected,………you and Sam……and that you will play a part in winning this war".

"OK…….I guess…..this war aint gonna win itself…..and I don't see anyone else coming to help us".

"So Dean, do you give yourself to the angels?".

"Whoa…sounds a bit kinky to me'' he laughed, but looking back at Castiel's unamused face he stopped himself. "Y…..y…..yeah…" he said reluctantly, not sure how they were going to seal the deal.

"Consider it done………we will call on you in due course" said Castiel as he laid his hands on Dean who had felt a sharp jolt within as white light illuminated the darkened street.

Dean opened his eyes, which he wasn't even aware were closed. Castiel was gone and he couldn't help wonder what exactly he had agreed to. He suddenly felt exhausted and realised he no longer wanted that cheeseburger anymore. He took one more look around him, saw that he was the only one around and slunk back into the Motel room and laid down on the bed next to Sam, who was snoring away; unaware of Dean's meeting with Castiel.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-

8 weeks later-

Dean gripped the wheel of the Impala as they drove along an empty road. Sam was buried in his laptop. "Does this coffee taste funny to you Sam?" asked Dean with a disgusted look on his face as he opened the car window and threw it out.

"Nope tastes fine to me. You never complain about your coffee Dean" he said not looking up.

"Well that one tasted like crap! Anyway, what you got for us Sammy?" he asked eager to go a hunt.

"You sure you wanna hunt Dean……you've been sick for days, you seem really, really tired…it's not like you man…and you've been getting headaches" Sam said with a look of concern on his face.

"I'm fine!!" said Dean, probably a little too enthusiastically. He rubbed at the dull ache in his lower tummy which had been there for a while now. "Food poisoning is a bitch huh, I knew that Taco was dodgy".

"I don't think it's Salmonella Dean, it doesn't last for days on end…..I think it's summin else…..I don't know, stomach flu, stress of the job??"

Dean laughed. "What do you think then Dr. Sam, you going to google it then?"

Sam's eyes lit up and he picked up his phone as Dean stared in horror at him. "Dude, you're gna google it, seriously?? Put it down man….I'm fine just tell me what you have found…."

Sam reluctantly put the phone down and went back to his laptop. "OK, signs of demonic omens……cattle slaughtering….um, police also found two severed heads…."

"Severed heads??!" Dean asked.

He felt the bile start to rise in his throat. He slammed the brakes on the car, threw the door open just in time, as he vomited up what little he had left in his stomach. He stood up straight and wiped the sweat off his brow. He was starting to worry now, this just wasn't like him. He was seriously thinking he had picked up a demon virus or something. The nausea had plagued him for weeks now, which of course he had kept a secret from Sam. Plus he found himself exhausted all the time. Then the vomiting started a few days back, usually first thing in the morning, but also persisting until the afternoon. Dean made his way back into the driver's seat where he was met with a 'I told-you-so look from Sam'.

"OK Sam, we'll stop at the next Motel for the night….and no you are not driving…..I'm fine!" he said as he turned ACDC up on the stereo as if to emphasise his point.

* * *

An hour later they arrived at a Motel. Sam made his way to the check-in desk whilst Dean staggered in behind him. Dean was fighting back another wave of nausea. He could smell something sickly and sweet, probably industrial air freshener. He did a quick scan of the vicinity and quickly cupped his hand over his mouth and made a quick dash to the nearest bathroom. Sam apologised to the man at the desk stating that his brother had obviously eaten something that didn't agree with him.

When Dean came out of the bathroom, he was pale and sweaty. He rubbed absent mindedly at his stomach, which by now surely had to be empty.

"Come on Dean, we are up on the second floor, room 213. Think you can make it?"

Dean glared at Sam. "Dude quit treating me like I'm friggin 7 will ya?.…I can walk just fine by myself."

* * *

Once in the room Dean grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste from his bag and made his way to the bathroom. He studied himself in the mirror. His usually tanned complexion looked pale, and his face looked drawn and tired. He started to brush his teeth to get the taste of vomit out of his mouth. "Eeeeuugggh even this toothpaste tastes funny" he thought to himself. He should really invest in a more expensive brand. When he came out, he saw Sam on his laptop tapping away at the keys with a confused look on his face.

"What's up lil bro?".

"Don't get mad Dean but I've been looking up your symptoms. Dude if you were a chick then I'd say you were pregnant!".

"Well I'm not a chick am I so I can't be…….so just shut it Sam". he scowled rubbing his temples as he felt another headache coming on. "I'm going to take a nap….got another bitching headache again".

As Dean napped on the bed, Sam continued his search for what could be causing Dean's symptoms. He was usually healthy so Sam was deeply worried. Time and time again, 'pregnancy' kept coming up. He knew it wasn't possible. Or was it?? Weirder things had happened and who knows what sort of things Dean had been up to when he wasn't with him. Sam got up, swiped the impala keys from the table and left the Motel room.

* * *

Sam walked through the door to find Dean in a semi-conscious state on the bed, stirring as Sam closed the door behind him. "How long was I asleep for?" Dean asked in a groggy voice.

"About half an hour? I went out to give you some peace. I got you some more aspirin for your headache….some crackers to see if you keep those down ……..and some ginger ale which is meant to be good for settling your stomach…..apparently" Sam trailed off.

For once Dean didn't make any sarcastic comments. He knew Sam was worried and just wanted to help. He nodded in appreciation.

"We'll stay here tonight and then tomorrow we will go and deal with……" he put his fist on his mouth and gulped quickly as he thought about it "……..the severed heads…..you know the demonic omens". Dean silently cursed himself for once again feeling queasy over something as silly as that. Him and Sam had dealt with a lot worst things and they had stomach's of steel. Something definitely wasn't right.

"I have to pee again!" Dean complained as he sat up slowly from the bed, closing his eyes for a second to try and control the nausea once again. "Think I should get my prostate checked or summin".

"Well since you're heading that way Dean you may as well take this at the same time" Sam said as he handed Dean a brown paper bag. Dean hadn't noticed it before. He opened it up and scoffed at what was inside.

"Dude, seriously, I am not doing this, I am not a freakin' chick! No way I am pregnant, you are delusional Sammy!".

"Dean you've got nothing to lose, c'mon man, stranger things have happened to us, you have to admit that! And all the symptoms fit".

"Fine Sammy, but only to stop you from worrying and being a pussy 'bout it…..jeez I can't believe I'm 'gna do this".


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

Sam was pacing around outside the bathroom door. He couldn't believe that they were doing this, it was so stupid. Bobby would tease them about this forever if he ever found out. Dean stormed out of the bathroom throwing the stick onto the table.

"See Sam? Nothing has happened!! Told you it was a waste of time and that it is just a stomach bug!".

"It's only been a minute….it says here that you have to wait 5 mins".

Dean started pacing around in circles, hands flapping about the place. "After peeing on that stick I am going to need to hook up with a few chicks to get some of my masculinity back! I saw a cute girl go into room 201.…alone….hhhmmmmm".

"Dean…….."

"She was smokin' hot……the things I wanna do to her……".

"DEAN!!!!"

"What???!!!" Dean's thoughts were cut short as he swung round to look at his brother whose lips were pursed together.

"It's positive…….".

"Huh?? What's positive?"

"This" said Sam as he thrust the stick, which had turned purple, into Dean's hand.

Dean stood there, frozen on the spot. This had to be a hoax. He snatched the instructions out of Sam's hand and read, and re-read it. According to this he was pregnant. He didn't know whether he was relieved or not that he wasn't dying. But still, this could not be possible. How could it be?

"Oh my god, son of a bitch!! I have to get this thing, this……this parasite 'outta me man…..I gotta find a way to end this!! This has gotta be a joke dude, like a demon sorta joke or a trickster prank………a curse??" his voice going high as he listed some of the possibilities.

"The only things we have encountered over the last couple of months Dean have just been run-of the-mill stuff, you know, hauntings, vampires, nothing powerful enough to do this to you! Unless you have had sex with some sorta angry pissed off demon!"

"I don't hook up with just anyone Sammy……you know I do have standards….and demons aint one of them! I'm gonna find a way to get this thing outta me. Some voodoo shit or a spell…….".

Dean started pacing around the motel room, his head in his hands trying to think firstly, how he could have gotten into this mess in the first place, and secondly, how to get out of it. Sam, not knowing what to say to comfort his brother thought it best just to say nothing, so he grabbed his laptop and proceeded to open up 'Google'. Sam quietly laughed at himself knowing that 'Google' would be pretty darned useless right now.

The room suddenly went white as the familiar form of Castiel entered.

"Dean??" Castiel spoke softly but firmly as Dean jumped on the spot in shock.

"Jesus, Cas, now is not the time to be sneaking up on me man!"

"I'm sorry Dean. But I came here to warn you." he said as he turned away from Dean and looked up towards the ceiling.

"Warn me, huh? How about next time you pick up the phone!"

"The baby that you carry".

"It's not a baby, it's a parasite……wait you know about this?? You son of a bitch, you did this to me?"

"……. it must not be harmed in any way" Castiel continued, ignoring Dean. " This is God's doing, you were chosen…..you agreed to swear your allegance to him". Sam's head shot up. What on earth had Dean done!

"Wow I'm honoured, well thank you God" Dean said sarcastically. "I thought I'd be helping you to stop the end of the world….kick some serious demon ass!! Couldn't he have given me something that I actually want and leave the virgin Mary stuff to someone else, like I dunno, a chick???……I'm gonna find a way to end this Cas and there is nothing that you can do to stop me!"

"Dean, you don't understand……this is written by the prophet….God's mouth piece. I cannot stop this…..it's going to happen……this baby…..this is what is going to stop the apocalypse……your child is going to be a weapon against Lucifer".

With that, Dean Winchester promptly keeled over, banging his head on the edge of the bed as he went down whilst Sam looked over, in awe of what he had heard.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4-**

**Dean came to on the bed where Sam had laid him down. He opened his eyes slowly hoping that he was waking up from a very bad dream. He rubbed at his forehead where he knew a bruise would appear soon. He saw that Sam was sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Castiel walked over to Dean and slowly brought his hand up onto his shoulder.**

"**Don't touch me Cas……I think you have done enough damage…..you touch me again and I'll find a way to take away your angel mojo….you dick!".**

**Dean walked over and picked up a bottle of ginger ale. It tasted foul but if it got rid of the nausea then he was all for it.**

"**You have no choice but to go through with this……We will be able to keep you and the baby safe from Lucifer and the demons…….your protection is guaranteed…….but Dean, you disobey me and the repercussions will be dire. You will carry this child for another 7 months and then await your instructions".**

"**Child? HUH!!…….seriously? If it comes out with wings and a halo, you are one squashed angel!" Dean thought before slowly speaking again. " So that night a couple of months ago that I swore allegance to God and the angels……..and when you…….uh…..'touched me'……" Sam looked over at Dean and hoped that by touching he meant literally, not code for something more. "…..that was the night you…..oh God……impregnated me?" Dean squirmed as he said the last word.**

"**Figuratively speaking…..yes".**

**Sam perked up for the first time in this conversation. "OK….so I guess we gotta go easy on the hunting now then".**

"**No way Sam! I need to kill evil son's of bitches more than anything now. I'm not giving that up" he said as he nibbled on one of the crackers. "Right, Cas? You may be able to force me to keep this monstrosity you call a child, but you cannot make me give up hunting!". He turned around to find that it was only him and Sam in the room. "Damn you Cas!" Dean shouted. He threw the rest of the cracker across the room.**

**Sam sighed. "So you gave yourself up to be the angel's bitch then, huh?" he asked trying to stifle a laugh.**

"**This is not funny Sam! I didn't know they would do this to me! I had no choice but to agree……they were going to throw me back into hell otherwise……..you would be alone again…at least this way I'm here to look after you". Dean sat down on the bed. "I'm sorry…….".**

**Sam went over to comfort his brother.**

"**Dean, it's OK…I'm here……we will get through the next 7 months…together".**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-

2 weeks later

Sam and Dean Winchester, kitted out in their respective suits, walked into the morgue. A man in his early fifties looked up startled. "You are not authorised to be in here, get the hell out or I'm gonna call the cops".

Dean put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out an FBI badge as Sam did the same.

"My name is Agent Cooper and this is my partner Agent Duggen. We are here to speak to you about the body of the young woman found on the side of the highway. Torn to shreds, right?"

The coroner, stared at the ID badges intently, and then obviously happy that they were legal, starting answering questions posed by the 'FBI agents'.

"So Doc, what do you think did it then?" Sam asked.

"Well why don't you boys take a look yourselves and see if you can come up with anything", he said pulling out the tray and opening the bag to reveal the mutilated body.

Dean swallowed hard, trying not to think about what he was seeing too much. He put one hand on the table to try and steady himself. His other hand went over to his mouth, hoping that he could stop himself from being sick. The nausea and vomiting hadn't eased off at all over the past 2 weeks and he had even began to lose weight. He thought that the term 'morning sickness' was definitely way off the radar seeing as he seemed to be sick all through the day.

Sam and the coroner were talking amongst themselves. Dean, on hearing too much graphic detail and the smell from the formaldehyde, started to retch violently. The coroner turned around. "You OK son?".

"Bucket…" Dean managed to get out through the retching. The Doctor grabbed the nearest receptacle and Dean threw up the morning's crackers and ginger ale. Dean wiped his mouth on a tissue that Sam had got for him. "I'm new" he said sheepishly.

"Don't worry, happens all the time" the coroner laughed. If only he knew the truth Sam thought. "Why don't you go sit down over there whilst me and your partner finish up here".

Dean groaned again and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth as Sam handed him a clean tissue. "Nope, I'm good….I think. Kinda smells quite strong in here don't you think?" he asked trying to hold his breath in.

Sam shook his head. "Nope….but them I'm not……you know…..in your current state" he said as Dean's head shot up to glare at him. "I mean, I've been doing this job a while. I'm used to it right?" Sam tried to deflect.

Sam's answer seemed to satisfy Dean. The coroner started poking at bits of the body as Dean turned green again. "Maybe I will, you know sit this one out, get a bottle of cold water. See you outside buddy" Dean said as he tapped Sam gently on shoulder, trying to avert his eyes to what the coroner was doing.

* * *

Once out in the fresh air Dean felt a lot better, his head clearing slightly. Sam walked over to him, putting an arm around Dean's shoulder. "I'm sorry, you wanted a case….didn't think it would make you this ill. Why don't you go back to the Motel and rest for a bit".

"It's fine Sam, I wanted a case and you found us one so we are going to see it through. I am not resting just 'cos this brat I'm carrying says so. Now lets go and change out of these ridiculous clothes and go follow up those leads. We are done with the corpses for now, so think my stomach can handle talking to a few people…..as long as it doesn't involve the smell of fish…..makes me wanna heave". Dean looked over at the Hospital entrance uncomfortably.

"You gonna be sick again?" Sam asked with concern. He knew his brother hated being ill, hated being made to look weak. Their father had told them that there was never any time to be sick, just suck it up and get on with life.

"No……gotta pee again. Another little bit of joy I've got in my life at the moment. I'm surprised I got any fluids left in me. Be back in a minute. I just hate this Sammy…..why me?". Dean scurried into the entrance as Sam waited outside. He daren't correct Dean on calling him Sammy, he was going to let him off….just this once…..or at least until he knew that his brother wouldn't actually turn him into Samantha.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

12 weeks

Dean's mood had improved slightly over the last couple of weeks. Now that the frequent vomiting and trips to the bathroom had decreased, he had become a little more like himself again and started to put on some of the weight he had lost.

Sam sat at his laptop, deep in thought as he heard Dean come in through the door. He was holding onto a double bacon cheese burger. "Mmmm, I missed you baby" he said taking a massive bite and savouring the flavour of the greasy burger. He gulped down half his coffee. He had missed his favourite treats. Today was the first day in weeks that he didn't think he would see his food come back up.

"What you doing there Sam?" Dean held possessively onto his burger.

"Nothing" he said as he quickly slammed the lid of his laptop shut. "Really Dean? For breakfast? I take it that you are feeling better then?"

"Mmmm……this burger is amazing…extra onions too……" Sam gave Dean a look of disgust.

"Seriously dude, what we you doing on the laptop……find a good porn site?" Dean asked as he leant across to try and open the lid of Sam's computer.

"Dean, let it go…..it's nothing, honestly".

Dean grabbed the lid and flipped it up. He dropped the burger down into the wrapper and looked up at the computer screen horrified. Sam had been looking at pregnancy development and what to expect in the first trimester. He read the first line and freaked out.

"Why the hell were you reading this Sam? I'm not pregnant, I'm not having a baby. I'm doing the angel's dirty work …….carrying their 'weapon' or what ever you want to call it….it'll be over in a few months".

"You really shouldn't be drinking coffee….it's bad for the….."

"Don't say it…." Dean interrupted before Sam could get to the end of the sentence. "If I wanna drink coffee, then I'm drinking coffee. Get over it Sam. Nothing is changing here. In fact, I'm going out……..for a beer now that the smell doesn't make me heave anymore. And don't try to follow me!".

He grabbed his jacket, threw open the door and slammed it shut after him. Sam knew that he wasn't going to win this one. Dean had been in denial for the last month. He hoped that he would come to his senses and face facts about what was happening to him. For both their sakes.

* * *

Sam looked at the clock. Dean had been gone for a good few hours now. He was contemplating going after him, even though he knew it was a dangerous mission being on the tail end of one of Dean's mood swings. He got up out of the chair when he heard the key fumbling in the lock. Dean almost fell through the door as Sam went to open it. He could tell that Dean was blind drunk, smelling the liquor fumes on his breath.

"Waaasssuuuup Saaaaammy?" Dean slurred. "Ya miss me??" he hiccoughed. "Look……look….I still got it…the bartender's number….and, well I don't remember her name but she was haawwwt!!".

He threw down a napkin with a cell number written in crimson red lipstick on it. Sam bit his tongue to stop him from saying what he was thinking. Dean was in a mess and he couldn't do much to help him right now. He looked down at his older brother who was now spread eagle on the bed with his eyes shut. "Let him sleep it off", he thought.

* * *

Dean woke a couple of hours later, realising that it was just starting to get dark outside. His stomach gave a gurgle. He realised that maybe going out and getting drunk wasn't the best idea as his stomach still protested the presence of anything he put in it. He just wanted to prove a point to Sam that nothing is going to change in his life…….he was a hunter…..and he liked his beer, he wasn't giving that up for anyone….or anything, as thought as he looked down at his stomach. His toned body was just starting to lose it's shape and Dean realised in horror that he would be beginning to show soon. He shuddered at the thought.

Sam had seen that Dean was awake and brought over an aspirin and a glass of water to him which Dean took gratefully. "Thanks" he said swallowing the pill. "I was thinking…….we should hit the road before dark… I want to get to the next town down, check out that haunting". "I'll rest in the car…. you can drive……dent my car and you are dead meat" he quickly added before Sam had the chance to say anything. Sam grabbed the keys knowing that his brother must be feeling rough if he was allowing him to drive his pride and joy.

Sam looked at Dean and hesitated before nodding his head and packing their stuff up. As Sam drove, enjoying the open road in front of him, Dean slept in the passenger seat with his hand resting on his stomach. Sam couldn't help but smile in awe of what was happening to his brother….it was a miracle, quite literally. It was almost funny though, although Dean would never ever see it that way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7-**

**16 weeks**

**The past month went by in a blur. The brothers were kept occupied with several hunts, which kept Dean happy and gave him something to do, something that he loved to do and had been trained to do since he was little.**

**It was early morning and Dean stepped out of the shower and started to dry himself with the towel. He looked down at his bloated tummy in disgust. He had certainly put on a fair few pounds in the last month. His hand went down to the bump lightly touching the skin. He felt a little flutter within him, which he passed off as gas. He quickly put on his jeans, tugging at the waist band a little to try and stretch it. He then put on a black t-shirt, and a shirt which he half buttoned up from the bottom up. He looked at his profile in the mirror and satisfied that he had managed to disguise his mid-section as much as possible, walked out of the bathroom. The longer he could hide his condition from himself and Sam the longer he could pretend that it wasn't happening.**

"**Morning Dean" Sam chirped, far too happy for this time of day. "I've made pancakes, want some?".**

**Dean wasn't really concentrating. "Yeah…..thank you.". He was thinking how he could persuade Sam that what he was about to say was a good idea. "Um……I was thinking….I think we should go and pay our friend Chuck a little visit……you know….friendly little chat….see if he has heard anything else from our furry little friends upstairs….".**

"**I don't think that's a very good idea…..you know that we can't interfere with prophets……don't really wanna cross paths with an angry archangel…..".**

"**Aaaaaw Sammy afraid of being smited? Look we are not going to interfere……like I said….nice little chat….want to see if he knows how this is going to end that's all" he said gesturing at his stomach which gave another small flutter. "A little warning would be nice that's all".**

**Sam let out a long breath. He knew that this was not a good idea but his brother was going to go with or without him. He thought that at least if he went with Dean then Chuck might actually be able to keep his limbs intact. "Fine…..eat your breakfast then we will leave".**

* * *

**The drive to Chuck's house was filled with awkward silences, the brothers not knowing what to say to each other without causing conflict between them. Dean just kept the volume of the stereo up high so he didn't have to talk to Sam. It's not that he didn't want to talk to him, he knew how the conversion would go and he wasn't in the mood for it. **

**Sam kept looking across at Dean every now and again and noticed that his hand kept brushing against his stomach, not knowing whether Dean was aware he was doing it. That's when he noticed the slight bulge under the layers of clothing. Even though it was warm in the car, Dean kept his jacket on, another layer to hide his predicament.**

**After 2 hours in the car, they finally pulled up outside Chuck's house, where the curtains were typically closed.**

* * *

**Chuck was on his sofa when he heard the roar of the familiar engine pull up outside. He didn't need to peer through the curtains to find out who it was. He looked at the pieces of paper in front of him, a chapter that he had written a few weeks previously. He knew the Winchester boys were about to ring his doorbell.**

**He got up and opened the front door. Dean immediately pushed his way through and ran upstairs, leaving Sam standing awkwardly on the front doorstep tugging at the bottom of his coat. Sam walked slowly through the door and sat down on the sofa where Chuck had indicated with his hand. The two men were staring at each other nervously. Chuck grabbed his bottle of Jack Daniel's and downed half the bottle.**

**A few moments later Dean came tearing down the stairs, making a bee-line for Chuck. Chuck shot up from the sofa and came into contact with what he knew was a very angry and hormonal Dean Winchester. **

**Dean grabbed him and roughly pushed him against the wall. "You knew this was going to happen to me. You thought it would be funny huh chucklehead? To carry an angel baby? You think it's funny starting each morning with your head down the toilet? Having to pee all the damn time?". **

**Chuck was frozen on the spot. Sam rushed over and released him from Dean's grip. "Come on man, calm down, let him go". **

"**I can't control what I see Dean……that's comes from higher up……I….I….I just write what I'm told….don't shoot the messenger!" Chuck stuttered as he readjusted himself and threw his hands up in the air defensively.**

"**Hhmm…..that's an idea!". Dean released his death glare for a moment and inhaled sharply as his stomach pained him. Sam noticed and rushed over, while Dean brushed him away. "It's fine Sam, a little indigestion from the pancakes this morning.". He moved over to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water which he drank slowly before speaking again. "So you have no idea what the angel's plans are for me…..where the baby fits in…..or what they intend to do?".**

**Chuck was trying to choose his words carefully as not to upset Dean further. "No……I don't, it hasn't come to me yet. I have no control over when I have these visions….I may not know anything for months yet. I…..I'm sorry. It's not an easy task being a messenger you know…..I didn't choose it to happen….." he stopped suddenly as he realised what he had said was a mistake.**

**Dean's death glare was back as he walked back over to Chuck. "Yeah, well neither did I! You think that I chose to do this?".**

**Sam, once again was the voice of reason. "Dean, he doesn't know anything. It's not his fault. Lets leave him alone."**

"**Trust you to take his side Sammy. I suppose you are going to say that this is all my fault? That I brought it upon myself?".**

"**No Dean. I'm not blaming you for your decision. You were manipulated…..you did it for us…for me. I know what hell was like for you and that you would have done anything not to go back there" Sam said soothingly.**

"**Fine, let's go. I could really go for a pizza". "And you buddy", he warned Chuck, "If you hear anything more about this…you gotta let me know….archangel or no archangel….gimme some warning yeah?".**

**Dean walked out through the front door, Sam hot on his heels. Chuck let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that little confrontation was over…….for now.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8-**

**20 weeks**

**The past few weeks had been fairly uneventful and the boys never spoke about what had happened in Chuck's house. They hadn't heard from him or Castiel which did nothing to help Dean's increasingly bad mood which had returned with a vengeance.**

**They were sat in a road-side café in the middle of nowhere, debating their next move. Dean chewed thoughtfully on his second lot of burger and fries, stopping occasionally to wipe his mouth on a napkin, whilst Sam picked at his salad with a fork. Dean's cell starting ringing as he swallowed a mouthful of coffee (to Sam's disapproval). He looked at the caller ID. "Shit Sam, it's Bobby!".**

"**Answer it Dean!". Sam tried to listen in on the conversation as Dean flipped open the lid. He could hear Bobby's voice booming over the other end, cursing them for not keeping in touch. They still hadn't told Bobby what was going on, they were trying to put it off for as long as possible. Sam felt guilty because after all Bobby was the closest thing they had to a father and the last thing he wanted to do was for him to worry that they were dead.**

"**Yeah OK Bobby, we'll be right there, give us a few hours……….I know, sorry we haven't been in touch………there's uh……a lot has been going on that's all. Yeah, see you in a bit". Dean flipped the lid of his phone back down and bit his lip. "He wants to see us. Crap! What are we going to do? He is going to freak!" he said trying to calm his breathing down.**

"**He is going to find out one way or another so we may as well go and face the music now" Sam said as calmly as he could.**

**Dean looked down at himself. Despite the extra layers of clothing that he was wearing, his stomach still protruded out from his body. To people who didn't know him, would think that he was just getting a little podgy around the middle, but to people who him, knew that Dean Winchester would not be that careless in letting himself get out of shape. He winced slightly as the baby kicked him. The movements were getting stronger these days, but didn't want to admit to Sam that the baby was moving around; that would make it real.**

* * *

**Dean drove extra slow on the way to Bobby's as he wanted to prolong the journey as much as possible, putting off having to face him. They pulled up outside the house. Dean switched off the engine but didn't move from the seat. He took a big breath in and out and slowly opened the car door. Sam followed trait and did the same. **

**Before they were halfway to the front door, Bobby came tearing down the path towards them. "No phone calls, in 3 months? Come on, you are up to something. You two usually can't go 2 weeks without ringing me up to get you outta mischief!". Bobby's eyes went down to Dean's middle. He looked back up at him, his pupils dilated. "What the hell is going on with you Dean? You got lazy all of a sudden….that's not like you!".**

**Dean brushed his hand across his stomach. "This?!" he laughed. "This is just a little business arrangement between me and the angels. I gestate their angel spawn, they keep the demons away for a while. Bingo!".**

**Bobby did not look amused. "You what?! You made a deal with the angels? Did you know what you were getting yourself into?".**

"**Not quite……if its any consolation then this child is made to be a weapon against Lucifier….apparently. I'll be saving the world supposedly! Hey Bobby, lighten up….it could have been worse……I could have made a deal with the demons! I'll take the wings over black eyes any day" he said, trying to make light of the situation, the only way he knew how to deal with issues like this.**

"**You idjits!" Bobby shouted at Dean and flipped him over the head with his newspaper. "Did you realise the consequences of your actions when you were making 'deals' Dean?" he paused. "Did the angels say what you would have to do with the child after it's born?".**

**Dean suddenly turned a funny colour as the realisation hit him "No………" he said turning away. Just that I had to go through with this……otherwise I'd be sent back to hell".**

**Bobby sighed before saying "Come on boys, lets get you inside. We have a lot to sort out". Sam and Dean followed him through the front door and into the lounge.**

* * *

**They had stayed at Bobby's for a few nights so that they didn't have to worry about where they were going next. Although Bobby still glared at Dean in annoyance from time to time, the three men were getting along fine. They had agreed to keep this as inconspicuous as possible and try to stick to low-key hunts for the time being, to which Dean added "As long as I can keep slicing and dicing things every now and again then I'm happy!".**

**Sam and Bobby were outside in the back yard fixing up one of the old cars and Dean was on the couch with his feet up on the table watching television with a cup of coffee in his hand. The TV suddenly started flickering and Dean looked cautiously around and found Castiel standing at the end of the kitchen. Even though he was used to him appearing and disappearing all the time, he still had the fright of his life when it happened.**

"**Was wondering when you were going to show your face again. You kinda left me high and dry there! You going to tell me what's in store for me then?" Dean asked angrily.**

**Castiel, apparently in no hurry to answer paused for a few moments. "There is no point in harassing Chuck Dean…..he has no part in this………and neither do I. I receive my commands from elsewhere". He walked over to Dean, smiled, and put his hands on Dean's swollen stomach and closed his eyes. "The baby is doing well…..she seems very healthy….and active…..".**

"**Woah quit with the touching man!" said Dean exasperated as he pushed Castiel's hand off him. "Wait you can tell what it is? A girl?".**

"**Yes Dean. I am in tune with the baby's progress. Halfway there now. I will be back to check on you in due course".**

"**Check on me? Wait a minute" Dean said pushing himself up off the couch. "Wait…..what happens afterwards…..". He scanned the room to find that Castiel had gone. "Son-of-a-bitch!".**

**Dean rubbed at his stomach as he felt his little girl move within in. He was pregnant, carrying another life inside of him. A daughter. He went up to grab another cup of coffee. As he reached for the coffee pot he felt another swift movement from within. He turned his hand away from the pot and reached for the orange juice instead. Maybe he could sacrifice giving up caffeine for the next few months. **

**He scowled at himself for getting attached to the baby. It just felt real to him now, this overwhelming need to protect the life that he carried. Sam would so wind him up about this if he knew of Dean's 'maternal' instincts. "Lets keep this amongst ourselves kiddo" he said to himself. He sadly took a sip of juice; he couldn't let himself get attached to the baby, as he didn't know what the angel's had in store for her.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-

24 weeks-

"Ouch!" Dean complained as he rubbed the bump which had grown quite a bit over the last month. "That hurt you little bitch!".

Sam looked over at Dean whilst buttoning up his shirt and reaching for his tie. He raised an eyebrow. "You OK Dean?".

"Yeah……she just kicked me really hard that's all….". He stopped, realising that he had given the game away. He had yet to tell Sam about his meeting with Castiel a few weeks ago.

"She?" Sam quizzed. "It's moving around? Wow, that must feel so amazing. It must make it all real for you now don't you think?" he said in awe of the situation. His eyes went down to Dean's stomach as if trying to imagine he could see the baby inside, moving about.

"Whatever you little freak…..she's been doing it for a while now…..it's starting to hack me off a bit. It's not easy carrying out investigations and having something poke you from the inside. And quit with the staring dude, I'm not a freak in a circus you know!".

Sam snapped out of it and looked back up. "Sorry. But I mean, seriously, wow Dean" he said.

"OK Samantha, quit with the chick flick moments will you? I am not something to be smooched over".

"What makes you so sure it's a girl?" Sam persisted.

"I never said that". Dean was hoping that Sam would let this one go.

"Well at least you have laid off the insults for the time being. 'She' has to be better than 'brat' or 'angel spawn' or whatever other names you come up with".

Dean was putting on his suit jacket, trying to suck his stomach in as he did the two middle buttons up. When he relaxed, the button holes stretched but held firm. He looked ridiculous, trying to stuff himself into his suit. People would never take him seriously looking like this! He just didn't want to admit that he was going to need a bigger size soon.

Sam wasn't going to give up on the subject. "So come on Dean. What makes you so sure that it's a girl?".

"Uh……well….Castiel told me…." Dean said, looking away, pretending to look around the room for something.

"What? You saw Castiel and you didn't tell me? I thought we were going to do this together Dean. We're a team. This is huge!" Sam said, hurt that his brother hadn't shared it with him.

Dean snapped. "What the hell difference does it make whether it's a boy or a girl. It's going to serve a purpose in this war, don't think gender comes into it!".

He looked over at his brother and saw his sad eyes. He suddenly felt guilty for snapping at him and not telling him. "Sorry Sam. I just didn't think that it was a big deal. Castiel came when we were in Bobby's a few weeks back. It must have slipped my mind or something. Besides it's not that important."

"It's important to me Dean. You are important to me. You have always looked out for me, been there for me and now it's my turn to look out for you".

"Fine, whatever. I promise I'll let you in more. What do you want to know?" Dean said, relaxing again. "When I last went to the bathroom? What I last ate?".

"Don't be silly. Just tell me what else Castiel told you. Did he say anything else? Give you anymore information about the baby's purpose against Lucifer?" Sam started firing questions at his brother in rapid succession.

"Calm down sasquatch, you'll give yourself an aneurysm. He just said that she is fine and then he did that pain in the arse disappearing trick in order to avoid giving me a straight answer".

Dean looked through his bag, trying to decide which of the fake ID's to put in his pocket. "What do you think Sammy? FBI, grief counsellors, or undertakers? I tell you what, we'll take all three, and we can decide when we get there!".

Sam laughed and made the final adjustments to his suit. That was all the sense that he was going to get out of his brother for now. That was Dean's way of saying that he was done talking about the touchy feely emotional stuff. "Whatever you think best Dean!".

Sam was just happy that Dean was a bit more relaxed about everything now, maybe beginning to accept what was happening, even though he knew that his brother would keep up his charade for as long as possible. He thought that the last week or so Dean had softened up a bit. Of course he would never mention that to his brother, he just wanted to enjoy Dean's reasonable good mood for as long as possible. Who knew when his hormones would come back with a vengeance!

* * *

An hour later they pulled up outside a house. They were here to investigate an unusual murder and to question a possible witness. Dean shifted around in his seat, trying to adjust the buttons on his jacket.

"Dean, quit fidgeting. it's fine. Quit playing with the buttons. We have a job to do. No one is going to notice that….you know, you have gained a few pounds" Sam said cautiously, trying to choose his words carefully.

"A few pounds? Sam, I'm hideous! I look like a fat penguin. As if the suit wasn't bad enough! She won't keep still and now I really regret drinking that large coke" he said rubbing his stomach.

"Come on, let's just go. I promise no one is going to notice. And besides do you really think that someone will automatically assume that you are pregnant?".

Dean straightened up his tie and stepped out of the car, carefully trying to control his centre of gravity. "Fine. After you".

They walked up to the house and knocked on the front door. After a minute or so, a middle aged man opened the door and eyed them suspiciously.

"FBI. We need to talk to you about what you saw with regards to the attack on the young lady" Sam said confidently as him and Dean pulled out their ID's.

The man nodded his head. "Guess you better come in. Don't know what difference it's going to make. I already told the police and they said that they didn't have anything to go on. They say that because I had a few to drink, I was probably hallucinating or something and that my eye witness account probably doesn't count. Anyway, please take a seat. Would you like anything to eat or drink?".

Dean's eyes lit up at the mention of food but Sam quickly answered for the both of them before he had a chance to say anything. "No we're fine thank you very much. If you could just tell us what you saw. We have more of an open mind than you think".

"So you're feds right?" the man said eyeing up Dean who was fidgeting on his seat. "I'm guessing that you lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle. Sitting in the office all day, eating doughnuts and full fat lattes" he continued, looking specifically at Dean.

Dean glared at Sam. "Actually sir if you don't mind, could you show where the bathroom is. That 'full fat latte' that I had must have gone right through me" he smirked and said sarcastically.

"Uh, yeah, up the stairs and first on the left".

As Dean went up the stairs Sam continued taking his statement. "So basically, you saw someone murder this lady and then they just disappeared into thin air?" Sam clarified.

"Pretty much! Like I said, cops think I'm mad, but I know what I saw".

"Ok, thank you very much for your time sir" Sam said, shaking the man's hand as Dean entered the room again, still looking a little put out. "We'll leave you to it then".

They left the house, with Dean storming out ahead of him. He roughly opened the car door and made a point of slamming it shut loudly.

"It was a joke Dean!".

"Yeah well I'm not laughing!" Dean said miserably. "You can do all the house-to-house interviews from now on and I'll just stick with the doughnuts".

"I know what will make you feel better. I got an address for our vanishing murderer. If you're lucky you may need to get out the shotgun, and the honour will be all yours!" Sam said.

Dean shrugged and smacked his lips together. "Well now you're talking. Let's shake a leg" he said excitedly starting up the impala engine and taking off his jacket and tie, and throwing them into the back seat.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-

28 weeks

Over the past month, the boys had felt they had become sitting ducks, not really knowing what was going to happen next. They kept up a few hunts, even though Dean was finding the physical tasks a lot harder now, although he didn't want to admit it to Sam. He was starting to feel more and more self-conscious about himself and a little bit more protective of his baby.

Even though Castiel had told him that he would be kept safe from any demons, he was still quietly worried that he might run into one, as they were all probably gunning for him right now seeing as he was carrying the one thing that could destroy their leader.

Sam had noticed some more subtle changes in Dean. He didn't seem to drink coffee anymore and seemed to favour soft drinks instead. His brother now seemed to go after trivial hauntings instead of demon bashings. Dean's mood swings had become more and more unpredictable, probably a combined effect from caffeine withdrawal and hormones. Sam didn't want to bring the subject up and only drank coffee out of Dean's sight, as he didn't want to risk being hung, drawn and quartered.

Dean was lying on the bed in yet another cheap Motel room, surrounded by food, which he was hastily shovelling in his mouth. He was hungry and wanted to eat anything and everything. He made a mental note to himself that next time he saw Castiel, to ask him whether he was gestating a baby, or an elephant. Sam interrupted Dean's thoughts as he came in through the door carrying several bags of shopping.

"Please tell me that those bags have got something yummy in? I'm starving! Oooh is it pie? Did you get me pie?" he asked greedily.

"Dean the fridge is stocked full of food. There is food everywhere…..the bed….my bed even…it looks like feeding time at the zoo here". Dean's mind wandered back to the image of a baby elephant again. Sam continued his rant. "Our credit card is nearly maxed out trying to sustain you! When you're not eating, you are thinking about where your next meal is going to come from" Sam said as he put the bags down on the table and started to clear away some of the empty food packets.

Dean pouted. "But I'm hungry and I want pie, we don't have any. And ice-cream…….with the little bits on top….". He suddenly remembered about the bags of shopping. "So what's in the bags then?" he asked as he was trying to manoeuvre himself off the bed. The extra weight was definitely slowing him down and making it harder to do even the simplest of tasks. He groaned slightly at the ache in his back.

"Take a look" Sam said as he was sweeping crumbs off his bed.

With one hand resting on the small of his back, trying to ease the pain and rub out the knots, Dean made his way over to the bags. He pulled out several t-shirts, shirts and pairs of jeans, which to his horror, were two sizes bigger than the ones that he had on.

"What the hell are these Sam?"

"You've been complaining that your clothes aren't fitting you anymore and I'm sick of you whinging and whining about it and borrowing mine. So I went out and bought you some more" Sam hesitated. "Just a little bigger that's all".

"Great….so what you're saying is that I'm a fat whiny chick then? Jeez Sammy, way to make me feel better! That definitely helps with my macho status and male pride". Dean sniffed, trying to hold back tears.

He was certainly not going to cry. He cursed his sudden surge of hormones. It was only a couple more months, I suppose he could cope with wearing larger clothes for a bit, seeing as the ones he had on barely covered his middle and were uncomfortably tight. He looked at the new clothes again and sighed. As soon as he was finished with them he was going to be burning them straight away.

Dean flopped down on the bed and put his head in his hands. He winced as the baby gave a particularly sharp kick to his ribs. Sam walked over to Dean's bed and sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry Dean….I didn't mean to upset you, I really didn't…….thought I was trying to help that's all. You haven't asked for help, haven't told me what I'm meant to do to share this burden with you…..".

Feeling guilty that he had lashed out at Sam when he was obviously just trying to help, Dean looked up at his brother and smiled. "No Sam, I'm sorry. I'm just so tired, you know? Carrying this weight round me all day….literally! I know that I'm a stubborn pain the ass and that you are walking around like you are treading on egg shells with me. What you did…..was sweet. God I sound like a chick more and more every day…..I'm going to kill Cas for this".

"Oooh!" Dean said rubbing his hand on his tummy. "Great, now I gotta pee again you little brat" he said laughing as Sam put out his hand to help him off the bed.

"Dean? Uh…….what does it feel like? You know….when she moves?" Sam enquired.

"Honestly? Like she's trying to punch her way outta me man, and when she's doing it day and night on your bladder, it's no laughing matter". He paused for a second and on seeing Sam's puppy dog eyes, his expression softened a little. "Here, feel" he said grabbing Sam's hand and putting it just below his belly button.

Sam felt something bump under his palm and he smiled contently. "Wow. There really is something in there. It's amazing".

"No shit there's something in there. Come on Sam" he said pushing his hand off. "Don't want you going all mommy on me…..don't get all attached to the thing……it's not like it's a puppy we can keep…..it's a business deal with the angels, right?".

"I know, I know. It's just……you must have thought about it Dean…..you know…..wanting a family of your own….what she's going to look like. We never really had a normal childhood. You must think about what having your own family would be like, raising them in a normal family home and environment, instead of being dragged from pillar to post in crappy motels and having an absent father for most of the time".

"Not really Sammy. I've never really thought about it, it's not my kind of style. I'm a hunter….and hunting's all I know. 'Normal' doesn't really come into our lives. And I certainly don't do babies….well except for looking out for you".

"Ha ha funny dude".

Dean walked over to the bathroom and rested on the doorframe. "Girl talk is over. Now go get me some pie. The proper stuff, none of that frozen crap!".

Sam laughed and grabbed his wallet and headed back out the door. As Dean went to the bathroom to relieve himself for the what felt like the hundredth time that day, he couldn't help thinking about what his brother said.

What would the baby look like? What would it be like to have his own family and to raise them in a loving environment without the burdens and risks that his life as a hunter involved. He would definitely shield his family from the current lifestyle he leads, he wouldn't wish a childhood like his on any children he has. "I'd never put you through that sweetheart" he said rubbing loving circles on his stomach as his daughter moved within him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**32 weeks-**

**Dean had been tossing and turning in his sleep all night. He just couldn't get comfortable. Over the past month he had also been having bad dreams about demons killing him and the baby. The urge to protect his baby was becoming more and more powerful. Regardless of whether he got to keep the baby, it was his responsibility to keep her safe and he was going to do that as best as he could.**

**Dean woke with a start and sat up in his bed as best as he could. He looked down at his distended abdomen and wondered how much bigger he would grow, and also how much longer was left as there was still no sign of Castiel making an appearance. Chuck hadn't gotten in touch either so he had just resigned himself to the fact that it was just a matter of waiting patiently. **

**He was getting uncomfortable and just wanted it to be over so he could go back to hunting full-time and not have to worry how the baby was going to get out of him. Even though the brothers kept up their hunting, they found that Dean needed a lot longer to recover from hunts before they went on to the next one. Due to Dean's delicate state they approached any hunt with extreme caution and tried to limit his role in them.**

"**Morning Dean!" Sam said brightly, looking up from his book.**

**Dean looked over at the clock on the bedside table. "Dude, why did you let me sleep so late?" He scanned the room for his clothes. He found the nights very warm so only slept in his underwear. He stayed underneath the covers as he wasn't going to let his brother see him half naked, not when he looked like he had swallowed a gigantic basket ball.**

"**You were restless again last night. Kept shouting out things in your sleep. I figured you could use a lie-in….you obviously need your sleep".**

"**Yeah but 12 hours?! Usually we're lucky if we get five or six! Chuck me my clothes will ya Sam?" Dean grouched.**

**Sam located Dean's clothes and threw them over to him which Dean started to put on, keeping the duvet over himself.**

"**Dude, we're not kids anymore. We used to get changed under the bed clothes when we were 12! Stop being silly, we've seen each change before!".**

"**Yeah! Easy for you to say. You're not the size of a friggin whale. You've still got abs and a six pack. When we went to the store last night, girls were all over you. YOU, Sam, not me! All I get these days is people looking at me with looks of disgust on their faces as if all I've done is binged on beer and burgers. And at the café the other day…..the look the waitress gave me when I asked for extra fries with my meal. So what, I was hungry, and if I want extra fries then I should be allowed extra fries without being judged!".**

"**Dean. You're reading into this far too much".**

"**I'm miserable Sam. MISERABLE! And you know what? People don't even know. They don't know the truth that I'm going to possibly be stopping the end of the world. Ungrateful bastards. I hope it's freakin worth it! Please tell me you have found a hunt for us, I gotta blow someone's brains out otherwise it will be my own, or the next person who stares at me like I'm freak of the week".**

"**OK, calm down. I don't think it's good for you to be hunting right now. We have had a few close calls….I don't want you to jeopardise the safety of the ba….".**

"**Shut up Sam or I'll do it for you. I don't give a shit about her…don't care what happens to her".**

"**Don't say that. You must have some feelings for her. She's growing inside of you, I've seen you smile when you feel her move. I've heard you shouting out in your sleep about trying to protect her. I'm just saying, you are so close. Few more weeks and it'll be over. You can do that right?".**

**Dean finished dressing and threw the covers off him and rolled off the bed groaning as he stood up. "I'm going hunting with or without you. And if you are that worried about the safety of 'the baby' as you put it, you will damn well come with me".**

**Sam knew that his brother was being stubborn, but he felt like he had no choice in the matter. He scanned the news articles that he had bookmarked on his laptop and chose the one that seemed to be, for the want of a better word, the 'safest' option. Spirit activity in an abandoned house which was half an hour from here. They had dealt with those kind of things more times than they had had a decent meal.**

"**OK Dean….found something….half an hour away…..restless spirits…..a simple salt and burn".**

"**Sounds good to me, let's go. Rock salt and shotgun at the ready!".**

**Sam hadn't seen his brother this excited about anything for a few days. They packed up the car and headed off much to Sam's disapproval. He didn't even try to argue with him about who was driving as Dean grabbed the car keys and shot out the door.**

* * *

**It took them an hour to reach the deserted house as they had to stop for Dean. He had seen a place claiming to sell 'the best tacos ever' so had insisted on stopping there. Sam however didn't agree with that statement so just ordered a soda.**

**On arriving at the house, Dean's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah…..I'm definitely getting a vibe off this place" he said taking out his EMF reader.**

**They walked into the house keeping their guns at the ready in case they needed to get ready to shoot. The meter started whirring indicating that they had picked something up. The brothers cautiously turned around, waving their guns in the direction of the reading. Out of nowhere, an angry spirit appeared. Dean shot at it several times until it vanished. They searched the house and found documents of the owner who they believed to be the ghost, who seemed to have died under mysterious circumstances. **

"**I got a name Dean" Sam said. "And lucky for us, I know where they are buried. It's a mile from here, lets go!".**

* * *

**They reached the grave as Sam got stuck in digging it up. Dean was only able to stand and watch as he was too exhausted to even pick up the spade. 20 minutes later and Sam's spade hit something hard as he uncovered the bones. Dean immediately reached for the salt and lighter fluid and threw it down on the remains. Out of the blue, the spirit, not taking kindly to being disturbed, roughly threw Dean against the headstone before he had time to grab his gun.**

"**Aaaaaaahhhhh!!" he screamed, face contorted with pain. The spirit then walked over to him and Dean saw the spade come flying over towards him which hit him on the head. He shouted once more, put his hand over his stomach and flopped his head back. Sam quickly threw the lighter down into the remains and watched it burn until the spirit disappeared into a ball of flames. He ran over to Dean, shouting his name to try and bring him back to consciousness.**

**After a minute Dean groaned and opened his eyes which were teary. "Son-of-a-bitch!".**

"**Dean are you hurt? That spirit threw you pretty hard…..the thud it made….".**

"**My head" he said running his hand over it. "And my stomach". He lifted up his shirt an inch to reveal a bruise that was rapidly forming on the side of his stomach. "Shit".**

**Sam started to fuss over his brother. He helped his brother up who groaned in agony as he stood up.**

"**Are you OK to walk?".**

"**Aaah. Yeah…..just…..just get me back to the motel room will ya?".**

**Sam drove them back to the motel as Dean sat in the passenger seat frantically rubbing at his side. Every now and again he would let out a small groan, which he tried to hide from his brother. **

**Once back in the room Dean made his way over to lie down on the bed when he doubled over with pain. "Sam…..something's wrong. It hurts…..really hurts….".**

"**Is it the baby?" Sam asked as he ran over to Dean and helped him to lay down on the bed.**

"**I dunno…..aaaah" he screamed. "I can't feel her move. She's usually moving all the time…..haven't felt her since it happened……trust me to screw it all up Sam….I was so close. Where is Castiel when you need him?!".**

**Sam put his hands on Dean's which were resting on his stomach. "Hey, I'm sure she is fine….just startled or something……or maybe, you know, slept through the whole thing. Just try to calm down and I'm sure you will be able to feel her".**

"**Sam…..I'm scared. I know that I never wanted this….never really cared for her….just thought of the whole thing as a major pain in the ass, or rather one big belly ache……but now that I think she has gone……I dunno…..I want her to be OK…..never wished for her to die, our job is to save people, that's all I've ever wanted. I know I've said that I don't care……..but I do. She's my little girl Sammy….mine…..they can't take her from me…they can't! I just couldn't let myself get attached to her too much…….everybody I love…..they seem to get taken away from me".**

"**It's OK Dean. I know that you care. She's a part of you, that's only natural. Whatever plan the angel's have for her after she's born, at the end of the day she's a Winchester. And Winchester's are tough and have lots of fight in them. She's not going to just give up that easily".**

"**It's my fault. I thought that I didn't care….was selfish in thinking that I could carry on as normal….it's not like we have a 9-5 office job or anything. It's dangerous and I put her in jeopardy….the one thing that the angel's asked me to do and I screwed it up".**

**Dean stared longingly at his heavily swollen abdomen. "Please baby girl. Please move, and I swear that I'll stop being a selfish prick and look after you….like you deserve. I might not be able to raise you and protect you after you're born……but I can protect you now".**

**Tears started to form in Sam's eyes. He had never seen his strong, tough brother act this way before and it was heartbreaking. He hoped that Dean hadn't been too late in accepting his responsibilities.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12-**

_**(Recap from end of previous chapter) **_

_**Dean stared longingly at his heavily swollen abdomen. "Please baby girl. Please move, and I swear that I'll stop being a selfish prick and look after you….like you deserve. I might not be able to raise you and protect you after you're born……but I can protect you now".**_

_**Tears started to form in Sam's eyes. He had never seen his strong, tough brother act this way before and it was heartbreaking. He hoped that Dean hadn't been too late in accepting his responsibilities.**_

**The brother's sat in silence for an indeterminate amount of time. The only sound was the low rumble of the traffic outside the motel. Sam's face was stained with tears and Dean was sat on the bed, too stunned to move or say anything else. His arms were wrapped around his stomach trying to feel for any movement from within him, no matter how small.**

"**Aah Sam!" Dean shouted out as he grabbed Sam's hand. **

**Sam immediately feared for the worse once again. "It's OK Dean, I'm here".**

"**No, Sammy! Feel! Here, she's moving, she's OK!". The brothers looked at each other in amazement as they felt the movements together and sighed in relief.**

"**Guess you'll be back to bitching about your swollen ankles and bad back again" Sam laughed, feeling that he had to try and make light of the situation after the last 30 minutes of uncertainty.**

"**Yeah I guess I will" Dean said as his face broke into a grin.**

**At that moment the room lit up white. "Castiel?" Dean squinted as he tried to see.**

"**Nope. Try again" said the voice. The light dissipated and the form of the owner's voice became apparent.**

"**Zach?!".**

"**Yes Dean. Well I hope that you have learnt a valuable lesson here".**

"**A lesson? What the hell does that mean?" Dean spat.**

"**We gave you an order. To carry this child and to keep her safe. You put her in danger tonight Dean. You shouldn't be so careless hunting in your current……condition" he sneered.**

"**Wait, this, this was to teach me a lesson? You sick son-of-a-bitch. You would really use an innocent child…my daughter, as a pawn in your sick little game? Just to 'teach me a lesson?". Dean rolled off the bed and stood up moving towards Zachariah with as much fluidity as he could.**

"**Now now Dean. Watch your blood pressure".**

"**You're sick, you know that?"**

**Sam intervened. "Come on Dean, you are still hurt, lets get you back to bed.**

**Dean roughly pushed Sam's hands off him. Zachariah looked smugly at Dean. "Well, I think that you get the idea now. You don't mess with us Dean. When we give you an order we expect you to obey. Just take it easy, if anything happens to the baby before she's born……well it's never too late to throw you back into hell, and the pleasure would be all mine".**

"**You bastard" Dean said, feeling anger rise from deep within. He looked down and gently put his hand on his stomach, feeling his daughter move again.**

**When he looked up Zachariah was gone. "Yeah that would be about right you pathetic son-of-a-bitch!" he shouted, picking up the nearest thing he could reach and throwing it across the room at the point where Zach had disappeared.**

"**Wow. I didn't think that the angel's would stoop that low. Always thought they were on our side. I'm sure that they are, they just got a funny way of showing it" Sam said disappointedly.**

"**Oh they have always been scheming bastards. At least you know where you stand with a demon".**

**Dean sat back down on the bed and sighed. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Zach was right. It was a cruel trick, but effective. He had to face facts and start looking after himself a bit more, even if that meant giving up hunting for a few weeks.**

"**I guess lounging about in a Motel room for a few more weeks isn't so bad. And having Oprah keeping me company can't be too bad either. I was thinking, if we are going to stay put in a crappy Motel, let's go somewhere nice. I want to go by the sea, go down to the coast. Do things that normal people do for a while……things that we never had the chance to do as kids".**

**Sam thought that Zachariah's little visit had certainly shocked his brother, which was obviously the intended purpose. Dean had admitted his true feelings about how much he cared for the baby, granted under horrible circumstances but at least he had opened up.**

"**OK, if that's what you want, we'll do that. That bump on your head has made you go soft Dean. Think you should rest now" he said.**

**Dean pulled the covers over him and put his head on the pillow. "Yeah….I'm going to have a bitching headache in the morning! Oh and Sammy?"**

"**Yes Dean?"**

"**I may be knocked up and going soft here……….but you will still be more of chick than I am!".**

**Sam playfully threw a pillow over to his brother. "Shut up. Bitch".**

"**Jerk" Dean said as he drifted off to sleep, one hand protectively over his stomach, for once not complaining that the baby was kicking the hell out of him.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13-

35 weeks-

Zachariah's warning and little trick had really shaken Dean up. He had finally accepted that he couldn't keep up hunting anymore without jeopardising his baby's safety. The brothers spent the last few weeks mostly travelling around in the impala and taking in the scenery which they never have the opportunity to do usually as they are tearing around in between hunts. They finally settled in a small sea-side town which they booked up a room for 6 weeks hoping that their credit card would take the balance.

Dean was the one that usually hustled for pool, or obtained money from poker games and seeing as his current condition prevented him from doing any of that, money was a little bit tight. Sam, mostly out of boredom and to avoid Dean's constant bitching, had got a part-time job in the local library just to keep some sort of income coming in.

Sam finished a shift in the library and went back to the Motel. He brought food back with him as a peace offering to Dean who would bitch to him if he came in empty handed. He had his key in the lock when he could hear grunting noises and swearing from the other side of the door. Panicking he threw open the door and went running over to his brother.

"Dean? You OK? What's wrong?" he asked in a blind panic.

Dean was sitting at the table battling to put his shoes on. He had the laces as loose as they would go and was pushing down hard to try and get his feet in. "Damn! Shit! I can't get my stupid clown feet in these stupid boots! I can't even see my feet!" he said easing back into the chair, giving up for the moment, whilst getting his breath back.

"You should be resting, putting your feet up to ease the swelling. Why were you putting your shoes on anyway?" Sam asked looking over at the table where the keys to the impala lay.

"I don't want to rest Sammy. I want to go out".

"You don't need to go out. I brought you food, here" Sam said giving Dean the bag.

"Thanks, but I want to go out and get my own food. These four walls are driving me crazy. I may not be hunting at the moment but I think I can go for a drive and get my own food from the store. I'll even let you come with me Samantha, seeing as you insist on following me around everywhere anyway!".

Sam rolled his eyes and picked up Dean's boots from the floor and studied the size. He went over to the wardrobe where his things were kept and picked up a pair of his boots. "Here try these, they're a size bigger than yours" he said handing them to his brother who took them without complaint.

Dean's face lit up as his feet slid into the boots with ease. That was the easy part. He wondered how on earth he was going to lace them up. He tried to bend down but failed as his distended abdomen prevented him from doing so. Sam on seeing his brother's near impossible task bent down and laced up the boots for him. Dean blushed but mumbled a feeble 'thank you'.

"You sure you're OK to drive Dean?" Sam asked picking up the keys and swirling them around on the key chain.

"Hell yeah" Dean said snatching the keys off his brother. "This may be the last chance I get to fit behind the wheel for a few weeks". He looked down at his stomach which had grown a lot in the last few weeks. Realising that he was only wearing an oversized t-shirt he grabbed his coat, which he put on. There was no point in trying to button it up to hide his condition, he was too big. He was so eager to go out for fresh air he didn't even care how he looked.

Dean walked out the door to the car with Sam trailing like a lost puppy. He eased himself into the driver's seat and managed to squeeze his bump in underneath the wheel. He started the car up and on hearing the familiar purr of the engine he grinned from ear to ear and turned the radio up which was currently playing his favourite Metallica song. Sam was glad to see Dean happy after the incident with the spirit a few weeks ago and seeing him so cut up when he thought he'd lost the baby.

"Woooo!!! Missed you baby!" Dean shouted excitedly as he put his foot down on the pedal and sped away.

* * *

Dean was putting their shopping away back in the Motel room as Sam was looking disgustedly at the contents.

"You don't even like pickles Dean!" Sam said screwing his face up looking at the jar.

"Maybe not, but they go great with this ice-cream. You gotta try it!" Dean said grabbing the jar off Sam and opening it up to put some in a bowl.

"Think I'll pass on that one". Sam continued rifling through the bags. "And what the hell are these? Cleaning products? Please tell me you haven't got a craving for these too? There is no way I'm watching you eat those!".

"No man! Now that, would be gross!" Dean said taking a mouthful of pickles and ice-cream.

"Oh so what you're eating now isn't?" Sam said looking away from the concoction in Dean's bowl. "So why have you gone and bought cleaning products then? And….oh my……pink rubber gloves?" he said picking them up and grinning.

"Because this place is filthy Sam! Seriously, who can live like this? It needs a damn good clean. And…….they only had them in pink!" Dean shrugged at the gloves.

"Clean?" Sam laughed. "Since when have you been bothered about things being clean? You practically thrive in filthy Motel rooms! You don't know what cleaning is! And, you wear the same boxer shorts for days on end".

"That's different……and besides…..I turn them inside out occasionally! And you're missing the point. Think about all the germs that are growing on the kitchen work surface. Urrggghh! I need to clean it".

"Oh my gosh" Sam said laughing harder. "You're serious! Wow. Think this is what they mean by 'nesting' instinct" he said trying to control himself.

"What?" Dean scoffed through another large mouthful.

"Nesting Dean. When moms-to-be suddenly decide to clean and tidy ready for the baby".

"Dude you can't be serious! I'm not 'nesting' or whatever you wanna call it. There's no harm in wanting to be clean and tidy. That's just good sense! And you call me mommy again and I'll turn you into one! Now gimme the bleach and my gloves!".

Sam continued laughing as he watched his brother scrub at the counter wearing his pink rubber gloves. Dean ran around the room frantically cleaning and tidying for half an hour until Sam intervened.

"Dean, that's enough. Come on, it's clean. You have proved your point. You'll wear yourself out" he said as he watched his brother walk over to the bed and sit down. He tried to suppress another chuckle.

"What's so funny now chucklehead?" Dean asked, trying to calm the baby down by running his hand across his stomach in soothing circles.

"You're walking funny. Like…….waddling".

"Oh yeah, that's hilarious. Real funny trying to walk around like you're trying to keep a ball between your legs".

"I'm sorry Dean" Sam said, face going serious.

"Well I'm glad I'm keeping you amused. Cause I'm not really having a good time here. In fact now that you have drawn my attention to that fact that I 'waddle', I'm not leaving this room until it's over" he said pouting and folding his arms across his chest.

"Lighten up Dean".

"Lighten up? Is that meant to be funny too?"

"I meant…you know what I mean. Now how about I run you a nice hot bath. Ease your aching muscles yeah?".

Dean's pout slowly turned into a grin and his arms unfolded. He longed for the hot water around him, to try and ease the tension that knotted his muscles. "OK. Thank you" he said as Sam made his way into the bathroom to run the bath. "Sam?"

"Yep?" Sam answered emerging from the doorway.

"I…..uh…I bought some bath gel. Better than the industrial crap they provide here. It's in the middle bag on the table".

Sam located the bottle and held it up. "Raspberry shimmer bubble bath? And what are these? Lavender scented candles? Dude!".

Dean blushed again. "What? I liked the smell, OK? And the lavender candles, well, apparently they are meant to be anti-bacterial or something. Won't do the bathroom any harm to be cleansed".

"Fine" Sam said laughing to himself. He would bust his brother about these later on. "Would you like me to go out and get you the latest copy of 'Hello' magazine so you can read in the bath?".

"Watch it Sam! I'm pregnant remember, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. And I'm also on a first name basis with an arch angel who wouldn't think twice before smiting you" Dean winked as he grabbed the things off his brother, went into the bathroom and closed the door.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14-

38 weeks-

A few weeks had passed and Dean was getting more and more uncomfortable every day and frustrated as he still hadn't heard from Castiel. He wasn't sure how long he had left, but he sensed and hoped that things would be over soon. He had been having mild spasms in his abdomen for a few days now. Sam had been working more and more at the library to escape Dean's unpredictable mood swings.

Bobby had met up with them a few weeks previously to check that they were OK and if they had more of an idea about what was going to happen. He threatened them with death if the boys didn't keep him updated on anything that happened.

Dean now resorted to wearing jogging bottoms and a hoodie to try and hide his condition even though he hadn't left the room in weeks. He just wanted to stay hidden away in the Motel room and have Sam bring him food all the time. His more sedentary lifestyle and binging on food meant that he had put on more weight than he probably should have.

Dean was sitting on the bed one day when Sam walked into the room. He had just finished working a few hours in the library. "Come on Dean, I know you are hot, grumpy and uncomfortable, but sitting here all day every day is not good for you. I'm taking you out for some fresh air".

"Nope, I'm not going anywhere. People stare at me. Everyone else is wearing t-shirts and I'm in a baggy sweater. Not gonna happen lil bro. Besides, I got a date with Oprah in 20 minutes and my back is killing me today". Dean groaned loudly and rubbed at his lower back as if to emphasise his point.

"All the more reason to go for a walk, walk off the pain. No wonder you got a bad back lying down all day".

"What else do you expect me to do Sam? Huh?".

Sam just shrugged and pouted.

"Fine. But only because it's sooo hot in here and the damn air-con is broken". Sam shivered. There was nothing wrong with the air conditioner, he was freezing, but apparently it wasn't cool enough for his brother.

Dean rolled off the bed, the only way he could get off. "Let me go to the bathroom first. Apparently going every 10 minutes isn't enough anymore. It feels like she has moved down or something, which is great for my breathing but not so good for my bladder. And it doesn't help that you keep forcing liquids down me" he snarled at Sam.

"It's warm outside and I don't want you getting dehydrated that's all".

"Whatever. Just wish I knew when this shit is going to be over. I miss being able to see my dick!"

"Too much information Dean" Sam squirmed.

"Well you keep asking me to share things with you…..so I am. You're never happy dude".

"I didn't mean everything!".

When Dean came out of the bathroom Sam thrust a bottle of water in his hand.

"Dude, seriously? Enough with the fluids!" he grabbed the bottle and turned his nose up at it. He kept hold of it anyway. "Where we going then? It had better be worth it if I'm missing Oprah for it! Although I do think that I can beat anyone that's on it. What's more dysfunctional and messed up than 'I'm gestating angel spawn to save the world!' " Dean said highly amused. "So where are you taking me?".

"Found a nice beach 10 miles down the coast from here. I'll drive us there and then we can get out and walk around on the sand. This time of day it'll be fairly quiet too, not too many people around" Sam said, pleased with himself as he had found the place earlier that day and thought his brother might appreciate it.

Dean winced as a pain shot down his back and to the front of his stomach. It wasn't much but Sam had noticed his brother's moment of discomfort. "You OK?".

"Yeah fine. Kidney shot, that's all. One of the perks of the job. Come on, if we are going to go, lets get a move on. There better be at least an ice-cream in it for me!" Dean said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of food.

* * *

Sam drove the 20 minute journey to the beach. Every now and again Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he felt the same sharp pain rip through him. Sweat was starting to gather on his brow. He was suddenly grateful for the bottle of water that was still in his hand. As he took a few sips, his hand gripped onto the edge of his seat as a particularly painful spasm went through his abdomen. He looked over to Sam who was too busy looking for a space to park to notice him. Dean took a few deep breathes in and out as the pain subsided. Things just felt different, something wasn't right. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Sam.

"We're here! Isn't it beautiful? Sea air, can't beat it".

As children, they had never really had the opportunity to do normal things like go to the beach so Dean smiled as Sam's face lit up at the site of the vast beach and the sea in the distance. Sam went over to feed the parking meter as Dean slowly got up out of the car. As he stood up another sharp pain caught him unaware, he doubled over and hunched over the front of the car. "God dammit. Give me a break, yeah" he whispered to the baby.

Sam came bouncing over as Dean straightened himself up again. "Dean you sure your OK? You're sweating".

"Am I? It's really warm, and I'm not going to take my hoodie off" he said rolling his sleeves up and adjusting his clothes to try and hide his belly.

"You don't look too good, you've gone pale. We'll make it a quick one and then get you back to the room" Sam said thoughtfully.

Dean tried to appear nonchalant. "Yeah, yeah fine, whatever".

They walked for 15 minutes before Dean stopped and sat down on the sand rubbing circles over his stomach. "OK, can't manage anymore Sam, I'm so tired. Let's go back" he said breathlessly.

"Thought you wanted an ice-cream?"

"No. No….I need to get back to the room. I don't feel too hot right now" Dean said giving in. He was starting to worry about the pains that were rippling through him. They were getting more and more frequent and more intense and he didn't think he could hide it from Sam anymore.

Sam gave his brother a worried look and lent his hand to pull Dean up. "I'm sorry I dragged you out here, thought it would cheer you up. You want me to go get the Impala and bring it down here so you don't have to walk so far?".

Dean forgot about his discomfort for a second as his eyes went wide at the thought. "What, and get sand on my baby and ruin her? Don't you know anything about cars Sammy? Sea water? Salt? Metal rims? I don't think so! Let's go". Dean stood up and started to walk back the other way, with his arm wrapped around him, his pace getting faster and faster as he approached the car, willing himself on. He inhaled sharply as he moved himself into the front seat. The pain was just too much to hide and this time Sam noticed.

"Dean……you….you don't think that you could be having contractions could you? Like…..labour?" he enquired as he started up the engine.

"What? Don't be ridiculous Sam. How can I be? There's no way for her to come out! Last time I checked I'm still a dude. It's probably gas or something" he said as another sharp pain caught his breath. "I presume Cas is going to come and lay his hands on me and perform a ritual or something to get her out".

A thought suddenly crossed his mind and he felt nauseous. "Oh God……you don't think that he is going to cut me open do you? I know he's an angel and all that but I don't think they were trained in c-sections! And what the hell do you know about childbirth anyways?".

Sam looked down and blushed. "I….I looked it up on the internet. I got bored a few weeks ago! You never know when it might come in handy".

"You geek! Well there is no way I'm going through childbirth. Cas never mentioned that". Dean groaned out loud and screwed up his eyes. "Drive Sammy, get me back to the Motel….this shit is really starting to hurt now!".

He didn't need telling twice as Sam had put his foot down onto the floor and sped away back to the Motel.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15-

By the time they arrived back at their room Dean was sweating profusely and in serious agony as pains tore through his abdomen every few minutes.

"Something is not right Sammy…….this isn't meant to be happening. Not part of the deal" he said breathlessly and hunched over a chair rubbing at his lower back with his hand.

Sam brought over a wet towel and put it on his brother's forehead which Dean was grateful for.

"Show yourself you prick….come on Cas you son-of-a-bitch! Show your face!". Dean suddenly stopped panting and looked up at Sam, fear in his eyes.. "Sam. Something doesn't feel right. I feel weird. Like…..loads of pressure down below…AAAHHH!" he shouted looking down as he felt a wetness run down his legs, soaking his jogging bottoms. "What the hell?" he asked, his voice getting higher.

"Dean….it's OK…..if you've wet yourself…..it's fine. Don't worry about it" said Sam soothingly.

"I have not peed myself you douche! I learned the art of bladder control years ago!".

Sam looked shocked as realisation hit him. "Oh my God. Dean. I think……I don't know how it's possible……but I think your water has just broken! She's coming!".

Dean looked up, eyes going wide. "That's impossible! There's no way for her to come out!".

"There is now Dean" a familiar voice said echoing from the shadows. Dean turned around to see Castiel sitting calmly on the edge of the bed, his arms folded across his chest.

"Was wondering when you were going to show your sorry ass here! And what the hell do you mean by that" Dean spat through gritted teeth as he was trying to control another contraction.

Castiel didn't say anything but looked down at Dean's groin, raised his eyebrows and blinked. Dean's eyes followed Castiel's and then went wider than before as he scurried off to the bathroom as quick as he could. "You son-of-a-bitch!" he bellowed from the other side of the door. "You gave me a freakin pussy! I'm gonna kill you" he said coming out again.

"No, just…..an opening……it will go again once you deliver!".

"Deliver? Wh…..WHAT?" he said panicking. "Opening? How the hell is that any different to a pussy!! You git! I'm going to kill you!" Dean whimpered and inhaled sharply as another contraction took over him.

At that moment the door of the Motel room flew open as Chuck entered carrying a stack of papers "Dean. I got it……I know what's going to happen" he shouted. He saw Dean screaming out in agony with Castiel and Sam looking over. "Oh….I guess you already know then, huh?" he said sitting down on the other bed pulling out his bottle of whiskey and trying to get his breath back.

"Oh great, more people come to watch!!" Dean said sarcastically trying to control his breathing. "Why don't you ask the people from next door if they wanna come and watch as well……may as well go for the wider audience! In fact, call the news channel, I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss this!".

Sam grabbed his brother's arm and led him over onto the bed. "Come on…..lets get you more comfortable".

"Comfortable? I don't think anything is going to make me more comfortable. This is just peachy!" Dean said getting onto the bed and swinging his legs over with Sam's help.

"Um…you feel like you need to push yet?" Sam said, almost afraid to ask.

"Push? Oh yeah…..cos I'm really looking forward to trying that part out! Heard it's real fun!". Dean lay down on the bed and shifted uncomfortably. Chuck was swigging at his bottle, Castiel was staring into space and Sam was adjusting pillow's behind Dean's back.

"So I guess you're all staying to watch then?" Dean smirked. He looked over at Chuck. "Hey douchebag. Give me that bottle of whiskey. Think I'm going to need it more than you!". Chuck stayed frozen on the spot, not sure what to do or say. He gripped onto the bottle of whiskey for dear life.

"I don't think that's a good idea" Sam said as calm as he could.

Dean's hands grabbed onto either sides of Sam's face. "Get me the damn bottle Sammy or I swear that I'm going to start shooting people here!".

Sam leapt over to Chuck and grabbed the bottle from him and gave it to Dean, which he immediately started guzzling down. "You actually here for a purpose Cas, or you come to take photos to show to your angel buddies?".

"I'm here to make sure you deliver her safely that's all" Castiel said thoughtfully.

"Aaaw. Isn't that just lovely of you! And how about you chucklehead" Dean asked looking over to Chuck.

Chuck thought for a minute, looking down at the floor before answering, at a loss without his whiskey as comfort.. "Well…..I'm bored…..nothing on television. I wrote about this moment, want to see how it pans out…you know…see how it looks in the flesh….better than any TV show!".

"Flesh? You are not seeing any of my flesh! And does this end with me killing the lot of you?" Dean asked screwing his eyes up as a painful contraction tore through him.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise for you Dean" Chuck laughed nervously as he stuffed the sheets of paper into his inside coat pocket, purely for something to do. They were not going to be needed now anyway.

* * *

Sam was hunched over his laptop and found what he was looking for. "Aren't you glad I'm a geek. Got a chapter here on childbirth which will come in handy. Dilating? Ooh, that really doesn't sound too good. Good luck on that one!" he stopped as he saw Dean glare at him. "Maybe you don't need to hear about that bit. OK says here I'm going to need towels, and something to cut the cord with" he said as he dashed around the motel room to find the various items.

"Dilation? What the hell? And dude, don't even think about going down there!" Dean said trying to pull the covers up over him. Sweat was now pouring off him now and the contractions seemed to be on top of each other. He felt a searing pain down below and tried to stop himself from screaming out.

"Someone's going to have to deliver her Dean. How we gonna do that without actually seeing anything, huh? Fine! If that's what you want, you're on your own. I'm staying well away. It says here that you will know when you are ready to push, just go with what your body is telling you to do".

"It's telling me to smack you around the face right now" Dean said angrily downing more whiskey between pants. "Oh shit……I think….I feel….I…..I need to push. This mother freakin hurts. Come here Cas so I can strangle you with that stupid arsed tie and trench coat" he said as he brought his knees up to his chest. "I think I can feel her head….or at least I think it's a head……Sam…..you better get down there and check it's not a halo!".

Sam grimaced., feeling repulsed. "Um, you sure? Thought you didn't want anyone to see?".

"I don't care anymore, I changed my mind…..just pull her out of me now. My dignity is all to shot anyways" he yelled as the powerful urge to push made itself known again.

Sam slowly lifted the corner of the duvet cover up and looked down between Dean's legs. He put his hand over his mouth and reached for the trash can where he threw up. That was a part of his brother he never wanted to see, let alone the other stuff that was happening down there.

"What? What?" Dean asked panicking. "Sam. Sammy? You dare pass out on me and that's the last thing you'll ever do, you hear me?".

Dean's words shocked Sam back into motion. Castiel, was now knelt down on the floor praying ."I can feel that she's close…..she's nearly here…the miracle of life…..to end all evil….to send Lucifer back".

Dean looked over and spoke through gritted teeth. "Glad someone's having fun Cas……probably the closest you've ever got to an orgasm. Me? I can think of better things to be doing with my time than trying to push a mother freakin bowling ball outta me. One that you so kindly put in me! But that's OK, right, because you have so kindly given me an 'opening' to make things easier for me" he said, sarcasm taking over his voice.

"Her head and shoulders are almost out Dean….you are doing really well. I think one more push and you're done" Sam said encouragingly.

"No Sam…..I'm done already….no more….done more than my fair share here…". Dean mustered up all the energy that he could and grabbed his bag which was loaded with guns, and threw it at Castiel, which knocked him over from his praying position on the floor.

Castiel stood up and rubbed the side of his head. "OW! You have no idea how much that hurt Dean".

"Yeah well that's just a fraction of the pain I'm in right now". "AAAAHHHHH………..You lot better be bloody grateful for this and give me a nice settlement afterwards, or I'm totally going to sue your arse. This has been hell on my figure!" Dean swore and screamed the place down, not caring anymore. "Bet this little bit here was Zach's idea, bet you are all having a laugh at my expense!".

"Almost there….come on breath….in and out…..breathe nice and slow".

"Don't you tell me how to breath Sammy. Don't you fucking dare!".

Chuck caught a glimpse of what was happening and quickly turned the other way, disgusted. "Eeeewww! I never wrote it to be as messy as this. This is gross!". He longed for his bottle of whiskey.

Dean shouted over. "You even think about looking again and I'll mess you up!".

"Ok Dean, you should feel the next contraction in a minute or so" Sam said looking at his laptop. "Try and relax until then".

Dean screamed out 20 seconds later. "A minute, my arse! I hate you Sam!". Sam scowled at Castiel. After all it was kind of his fault.

"I need to push again…..oooooo…..ooooowwww! Cas, get over here right now so I can break your hand!".

Castiel stepped further away from Dean and cowered in the corner. He valued this vessel that he was in and didn't want to risk another injury. "No, I'm good over here. Don't need to come any closer".

Dean shouted and swore as he pushed all that he could. He sighed in relief and relaxed back into the bed as he felt the baby leave his body. She started crying immediately.

Sam quickly and efficiently took the baby and wrapped her up in a clean towel. He took the scissors and the shoelaces he had gathered earlier and cut the cord as the diagrams on his laptop indicated.

Dean's eyes met with his daughter's eyes, which were like a mirror image of each other- a beautiful hue of green. She was beautiful, wavy brown hair, pale skin, rosy cheeks and pink full lips. Angelic, like a little cherub. He looked away. "There you go Cas. We're done here right? I did as you asked, she's here. Just take her away and get on with whatever it is you need to do" he sniffed trying to get his breath back.

Castiel sat down on the bed next to an exhausted Dean. "I guess it's time I told you the truth now."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16-

_(Castiel sat down on the bed next to an exhausted Dean. "I guess it's time I told you the truth now.")_

"The truth? Our deal is finished, right? I'm off the hook. Here's your little precious angel baby". Dean said looking down at his daughter again. She gripped onto his little finger which took him by surprise. He let her hold on. "Quit playing games Castiel" he said bitterly.

"It's done Dean. It's over. She has served her purpose".

"Served her purpose? She's an innocent child Cas….." Dean scoffed.

"You don't understand Dean. Lucifer has been sent back. The fact that your own child has been born has sent him back to hell. That's why it had to be you. You were the one that fell off the rack and started torturing souls in hell, thus breaking the first seal. Giving you the power to have a child of your own un-did that…..righted all the wrongs that unfolded when you broke the first seal…..….her pure existence has been powerful enough to send him back. Lucifer is back where he belongs…….he can no longer cause any more harm or reign power on this earth".

Dean couldn't believe what he was saying. Sam was too shocked to say anything. "So you always intended for me to have her……you knew all along…so why the hell couldn't you tell me all of this before then you son-of-a-bitch? Instead of leading me on".

"Because Dean, you had to want it……you had to want her….you had to love her…deep down that's all you have ever wanted is a family of your own, but you had to admit that yourself….no one else could do that for you. The combination of my power as an angel, and the love that you have felt for your baby…that's what has made her powerful. Lucifer never knew what love was, that's how he has got sent back".

"So that fact that I love my baby girl, after being the one that tortured all those souls in hell….that's what has put the world to right again?".

Castiel smiled. "That's exactly it Dean. That's why I couldn't tell anything. I'm sorry you felt that I have been cruel. But it was the only way. I'm sorry".

Sam perked up. "So, it's really over then? The world will not end and all we have left now are scared demons without their leader?".

Castiel nodded slowly. "Pretty much yes. And you thought that us angels were sitting around doing nothing? It's been hard trying to keep the demons off your tail for all these months….protecting you and your daughter. Very hard work".

"Oh yeah, because you look so exhausted right now Cas. I still think that you had the better deal here!" Dean stated. He looked down at his daughter again, who was now resting in Sam's arms. "So what happens now then? Do you take her away? I mean she's kinda your creation and everything. I just carried her for 9 months".

Castiel got up off the bed and went over to Sam. He took the baby from him and brushed his finger across her rosy cheek. He looked up at Dean and smiled. "She's yours Dean. Biologically yours. Yours to keep…unless…..unless you don't want her……we can take her for you and raise her amongst the angels. Only you can make the decision".

Dean put his arms out as Castiel passed the baby to him. He ran his hand through her fine wispy hair. "She's mine? Really mine?" and that's when Dean Winchester let a tear drop from his eye, which landed on his daughter 's face which he lovingly wiped off with the cuff of his sleeve.

"Yours Dean. No one can take her away from you" Castiel said breaking up the tender moment. Dean let another tear fall from his eyes. Sam went over and put his arm over his brother's shoulder to comfort him.

"I think she needs a name" Sam pointed out.

"Ummmm…." Dean began, going slightly red in the face. "I have kind of already thought of a name…..it just sort of popped into my head a few months back. No big deal. We can always change it if you like…whatever….not really fussed….."

"What is it?" Sam smiled.

"Caitlyn. Caitlyn Mary Rose Winchester".

Castiel and Sam stood in silence and looked at each other with the biggest smile on their faces.

"Like I said…..probably dumb…" Dean said looking very embarrassed.

"Dean…..it's beautiful….she's beautiful. And after mom as well" Sam said as he also let a tear fall from his eye.

Chuck, whose presence had been forgotten, cleared his throat. He shuffled awkwardly on his feet as Sam, Dean and Castiel turned around to look.

"Forgot you were here for a moment" Dean said.

"Yeah, sorry. Well……I guess I'll leave you to it then. This should be over for me now too…..there'll be no more prophesies to write….it was great writing about you guys for all those years" he said sadly.

Sam walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Just because you can't write about us anymore doesn't mean you have to be a stranger. Hell you know us more than we know ourselves. Keep in touch OK?".

Chuck felt ecstatic. "Wow…that means so much to me. OK…..see you around then. And Dean? She is beautiful. More beautiful than I could ever have written" he said gathering up his things and walking out the door.

It was Castiel's turn now. "Well I guess my work here is done then. I know that you will look after her Dean, I don't need to tell you that. She is going to have so much love in her life. She is lucky to have the mighty Dean Winchester as a father".

Dean stopped looking at his daughter for a moment. "Cas? Thank you so much for this. Thank you" he said looking up, tears running down his face. Castiel had gone. He laughed. "Yeah, you choose your moments…..son-of-a-bitch" he added for dramatic effect and out of habit.

The two brothers were left alone with the baby. Dean suddenly panicked. "Sammy? We don't have anything for her, no formula, she's probably hungry, she's only half an hour old and already I'm a bad father!".

Sam went over to his brother. "Ssshhh. Dean, it's OK. I'll run down to the shop and get some provisions. It will be fine. You rest while I'm gone. What a day huh?" he said frantically grabbing his wallet and dashing out the door.

Dean was alone with his daughter. She started fussing in his arms, but he gently rocked her back and fore.

"I love you so much. I've loved you for months sweetheart. But you understand why I couldn't let myself get too attached right? I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you, ever" he said as she settled down in his arms unaware of how precious she was. Dean brushed his hand through her hair again and kissed her on the forehead.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Sam had no idea what he was going to buy. He literally went to the baby section and grabbed anything he could see which was equipped for a newborn. This didn't feel real yet. A year ago he never thought that Dean would have a baby, or even want a baby for that matter. But the last couple of months he had noticed that his brother had become more attached to his bump, often lovingly rubbing it. He even walked in on his brother talking affectionately to it. He dashed over to the checkout to pay for the items. The cashier at seeing the things looked at Sam and said "Got your hands full there son?!".**

"**Something like that. More than you know" Sam had said back.**

**He jumped in the impala and looked around at the back seat. He knew what he was missing. He went back in to the store to buy it.**

**Sam had been gone an hour and wondered how Dean was getting on. He opened the door dragging the heavy bags through with him. Dean was fast asleep on the bed with his daughter wrapped in his arms. They looked so peaceful. He carefully took Caitlyn from her father's arms, trying not to disturb his brother. He definitely needed the rest. With the baby in one arm, Sam read the instructions on how to make up a bottle. **

**When it was ready he took the bottle and gently put it into her mouth. She latched on to it straight away and kept sucking the milk for 10 minutes until she decided that she was full. She was still wrapped up in a towel and covered in white stuff from the birth, so Sam took her into the bathroom and gently washed her down with warm water. He then picked out a beautiful pink dress from the bag and put it on her. "Going to make you look beautiful for your Daddy…..even though he will pound my ass about the pink".**

**Sam turned around to see Dean standing behind him in the doorway. He was still weak from the birth as he had to hold on to the doorframe to try and support himself. He went to kneel down beside Sam, groaning as he did so.**

"**You OK? How do you feel?".**

"**Believe it or not, like I've just given birth!" Dean said. "And yeah…..I should really pound your ass about the pink….but she looks too cute. Thank you Sam. Or Uncle Sammy now I suppose".**

**Sam smiled lovingly. "She's had her first bottle and I cleaned her up for you. Hope you don't mind. You looked like you needed some sleep. It doesn't feel real".**

"**No. I don't mind at all. And I'm sure it will feel real when she's screaming the place down at 2am wanting a bottle".**

"**She's so pretty Dean…..she is going to be a heartbreaker when she's older. She will also be able to kick some ass!".**

"**We probably should lay off the swear words you know. And no man will ever be good enough for her, they will have to get through me first!".**

"**And me!" Sam added.**

* * *

**They stayed in the Motel for another 2 weeks whilst Dean healed properly and until they got used to having Caitlyn around. She was every bit as angelic as she looked, only waking up twice during the night for a feed. It had still taken it's toll on Dean, who's eyes were swollen and red. He never once complained though. Sam also did more than his fair share of the work. The brothers decided that they would head off to Bobby's house for a while, who was told of little Caitlyn's arrival the day she was born. Seeing as Lucifer had been sent back to hell, hunts were very rare to find these days as the demons had almost given up so they decided they could use a holiday for a few months.**

**They packed up their things, which now included an extra bag. Sam put the things in the car. Dean stood in the empty Motel room holding Caitlyn in his arms. "This was your first home. But now we are going to introduce you to….well…..granddad Bobby I suppose….who's going to love you just as much as I do".**

"**You ready to go Dean?" Sam asked poking his head around the door.**

**Dean looked around the room once more before smiling and saying. "Yeah, let's go".**

"**I got a surprise for you…"**

"**What is it?".**

"**It won't be a surprise if I tell you. It's in the car, come on" he said excitedly.**

**Dean went out to the car as Sam opened the back door. He looked at the back seat, where there was a beautiful baby seat strapped in. Dean smiled and put Caitlyn in, fastening the straps and placing a blanket over her. "That's……..amazing Sam……thank you".**

**Sam blushed. "It's nothing, honestly. You want me to drive? You look like shit! You can get a few hours sleep".**

"**Thanks! I'll take that as you meaning well. But you dare go over 30 and I'll kill you. Our cargo just got more precious. Make sure you stop every 100 miles for Caitlyn to have her bottle".**

"**Quit worrying 'Mommy'".**

**Dean playfully punched Sam's arm. "Oh no you don't…..I'm definitely not mommy anymore. Bitch!".**

"**Jerk" Sam answered back as he got into the car. Dean sat down in the passenger seat. As Sam pulled away from the Motel, Dean looked in his mirror to see his daughter behind him sleeping in the car seat, and then looked over at Sam next to him at the wheel. **

**He smiled to himself and shut his eyes to get some well deserved sleep. A chapter in his life was over, but he was looking forward to the new one that was starting. Being a family, a proper family, like he always dreamed. He should really start praying to God now after the miracle that he had been given.**


	18. Chapter 18

The Angel's Work- Epilogue II

As requested, a follow up to the epilogue where baby Caitlyn gets to meet her granddad Bobby. A bit longer than I had intended but couldn't resist the schmoopiness!!

After several hours on the road, Sam finally pulled the Impala up outside Bobby's house. Dean was asleep in the passenger seat, exhausted from tending to Caitlyn several times on the way over. Caitlyn was also sound asleep. Sam switched the engine off and sat there for several moments, not wanting to move for fear of waking them up.

Dean chose that moment to stir in his seat and open his eyes. Rubbing them he looked out the window. "Oh, we're here. How's she doing?" he said turning around to see his sleeping daughter.

"Fine. Think you made more noise in your sleep than she did Dean" Sam said playfully.

"Ha ha! Let's go Sammy, Bobby's expecting us and I'm sure he's got a feast waiting for us. I sure hope so, I'm friggin' starving" he said opening the door, getting out and going to open the back door.

"Come on baby girl" he said reaching out to gently lift Caitlyn from her car seat. She started to wake up and cry. Dean picked her up and put her across his shoulder and rubbed soothing cirles on her back to calm her down. "Ssssh......It's okay sweetheart.....Daddy's here" he hushed.

Sam looked on and smiled. Dean had adapted to his new role amazingly and was a natural as the baby calmed down and snuggled into her father's shoulder. Sam gathered their things from the trunk of the car and followed Dean up the path to Bobby's front door where he lightly tapped the knocker.

They could hear Bobby swearing on the other side of the door, cursing the key not turning properly in the lock. "Darn key!" he continued until eventually the door swung open.

"Enough with the swear words Bobby, not in front of my daughter" Dean said covering his daughter's tiny ears.

Bobby stood there gobsmacked at Dean's role reversal. "Who are and what have you done with Dean Winchester?" he said smiling.

"Calm down Bobby, no need to crack out the holy water" Dean said readjusting Caitlyn's position on his shoulder. "Are you going to let us in because Caitlyn needs her feed".

"Of course, you idjits, come on in. I've been busy rustling up a feast for y'all. Hope you're hungry!".

"Always" Dean said immediately going over to his bag and expertly balancing Caitlyn on his shoulder and getting out a bottle and formula.

"So, let's have a look at her then?" Bobby said going over to Dean and taking the baby off him and cradling her in his arms. Caitlyn was looking more and more like Dean every day. Her green eyes, intensifying in colour and her plump lips getting fuller. "She's beautiful Dean. Like......like" he said trying to find the right words.

"An angel?" Dean intercepted.

Bobby nodded, not taking his eyes off the little girl. "Yeah. An angel. Who'd have thought that through all your stupidty that something so amazing as her could come from it. So her existence....Lucifer has been sent back?".

Dean was immersed in making up the formula. "Yeah. I don't think she'll ever know how special she is, even though I tell her that every day. I don't know why I was chosen for this task Bobby but I'm sure glad that I was. I've got what I've always wanted, I mean, deep down. A family. You, me, Sam.....and now Caitlyn" he said feeling himself tear up slightly.

"Are you tearing up Dean?" Sam asked.

Quickly wiping his eyes he turned back around. "No. Well....I'm just happy that's all. I guess that I can't blame my pregnancy hormones anymore. Can I try sleep deprivation?".

Sam and Bobby looked at each other. "Aaaw isn't he just adorable" Bobby mocked.

"Whatever" Dean said making his voice go deeper and taking Caitlyn again where he was ready with a bottle. She latched on to the bottle, her full lips wrapped around the teat, feeding hungrily. Dean went to sit down on the couch to support her better. "So what's for food then Bobby?".

"I'll make you up a plate and bring it over to you" he said doing just that.

"So, what are your plans now then boys?". As Caitlyn finished up with the bottle, Dean put her over his shoulder again and rubbed at her back to bring up any wind. "Well. I don't know really. Was kinda hoping we could stay here with you for a bit until we decide".

Bobby brought a plate of food over to Dean and his face froze. "Wow".

Dean bit his lip. "If it's too much trouble Bobby, we'll stay in a Motel room. You don't want us here taking over your house. It's fine, not to worry".

"No Dean. You don't understand" Bobby began, his throat drying up on him. "I want you here. All three of you. This house, it's meant to be a family home. And it don't have a family, so I want you to stay here, for as long as you want. I want it to be your home too" he said feeling overwhelmed.

Sam joined the other two by the couch. "Bobby? Are, are you sure? We'll pay our way, I promise".

"Of course I'm sure. Hell, you're the closest thing I have to family. And now I got a little granddaughter and I want to see her grow up.....turn into a young woman.......and see how you're going to handle that Dean!".

"Hey! I'm doing fine so far, right Sammy? And I know how to handle hormonal young girls thank you very much. I've had enough experience with Sam here!".

Caitlyn chose that moment to burp loudly and vomit down Dean's chest.

Sam laughed. "Serves you right Dean!".

Dean glared at him and stood up. "I'm going to get her cleaned up. Do something useful and chuck me her bag will ya?" he asked. Sam threw it over and Dean sauntered off to the bathroom.

"You sure that you want us here Bobby? All this chaos?".

"Chaos is my middle name Sam. Plus, hunts are going to be very few and far between so I'm going to need something to occupy my time with. Think the baby is going to be far less work than you two have ever been and a darn demon. This is going to be a piece of cake".

"If you're sure" Sam said smiling at Bobby.

Dean came back into the room a few minutes later after getting Caitlyn changed into a fresh outfit. "We'll fill your washing machine by the end of the day" he said putting her down into her bassinet.

Sam sniffed the air as Dean sat back down. "Dude, get changed will ya? You smell like baby puke" he said pulling out a clean shirt from the bag and passing it to Dean.

"Thanks. You'd think I'd be used to being covered in nasty stuff from all those years of hunting" he said taking off his soiled shirt and adding it to the dirty laundry pile.

Caitlyn's eyes seemed to be fixated on her father and she gurgled happily, knowing that she was the centre of everyone's attention.

"Sam told me all about the birth. You all healed now then?" Bobby asked concernedly.

Cringing slightly and staring at Sam who gave him an innocent 'what?' face, Dean answered. "Yes, everything's.....well back to normal now. As much as I love her, there's no way in hell I'm ever doing that again".

"Ha!" Sam scoffed. "Going to hell was what kinda started this in the first place".

"So even if there was another way for you to have another baby, you wouldn't consider it then?" Bobby asked seriously.

"No. And besides, it's uncle Sammy's turn!" Dean said looking over at Sam who was rapidly paling by the second and spurted out a long list of swear words.

Dean cursed at Sam for swearing in front of Caitlyn and then realised that he'd cursed himself. Let's face it, he was screwed. His daughter's first words were always going to be 'son-of-a-bitch'.

Bobby sat down and looked over at Sam and Dean who were having a heated debate and then to Caitlyn who was taking in what was happening. The little miracle that saved the world from Lucifer's reign on the earth. A tear fell from his eye. He wouldn't change this scene, not for anything. Not even when Dean had wrestled Sam up against the wall, knocking over a plant pot as they went, nor when he realised that the baby girl might need changing again.

THE END.


End file.
